This year’s “Spray Safe” presented fully in Spanish in Santa Maria
SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Agricultural workers in Santa Maria got some specialized training on pesticide safety, this year fully in Spanish.
The fifth semi-annual ‘Spray Safe' event presented their specialized training at the Santa Maria Fair Park's Convention Center early on Wednesday.
“Our employer sent 27 employees here to get all this information about pesticide safety, about our resources for our community, about our health,” says Reyna Lagunas, who lives in Santa Maria.
Breakfast burritos were served after a welcome presentation, then attendees split into groups to rotate among focused presentations.
“Right now we just got some burritos. And then you get to also socialize with other people that are working in agriculture,” says Lagunas.
Training and demonstrations were provided on safety when using pesticides and other chemicals involved in agricultural labor.
“We've got four different breakout stations going on right now. One is a demonstration here on closed mixing systems And then we have some other demonstrations going on regarding personal protective equipment. And then some other information being provided on pesticide laws and regulations in the state,” says Noah Beyeler, Santa Barbara Co. Deputy Agricultural Commissioner.
In contrast to previous years, organizers decided to hold this year's event exclusively in Spanish, which many of the attendees were grateful for.
“Last year there were translations. But now, you know, I have two of my coworkers and they’re saying that it's really good information because it's 100% in Spanish, so there's no need of translation,” says lifelong Santa Maria resident Martin Becerra.
Additionally, state, county, and city departments made resources available for other necessities such as mental health, immigration assistance, and more.
“A lot of times we don't know all these resources are out there for us and for our families. So this is a great opportunity to get all the updates for all the employees,” says Lagunas.
